Must have forgot to replace it I thought. I searched the car, no insurance policy. So I searched the house, no insurance policy. I phoned the insurance company and they told me it had run out last October.

‘I’d like to re-insure my car please,’ I asked.

‘Would you like to back date it from last November?’ she asked.

‘No, I want to insure it from today,’ I replied.

They were quite prepared to take my money for the last 5 months, but if I’d had an accident during that period they wouldn’t have paid out.

If you could backdate insurance there wouldn’t be any point in buying it. If you get stopped by the police or you have an accident just phone up the insurance company and backdate the new policy.

Anon, By email